The Long Road
by Drifbilim
Summary: Recovery isn't linear, and as Gloria discovers, neither is the road to becoming Galar's Next Champion. (swsh novelization with a couple of changes)
1. Chapter 1

Gloria didn't know it, wouldn't think it for a long time, but today would be the most profound and heartwarming day of her entire life.

That wasn't to say she didn't have many other profound and heartwarming days to compete with it. She cried on her tenth birthday when Hop had the entire town-a measly population of fifty, but still quite a feat-attend her birthday dinner. Sometimes she teared up watching the sunset, or had to stop and wonder at it all, living, breathing, and just being.

The day started as it usually did, at the crack of dawn. She was well and mostly awake (although still in her PJs) as she walked towards the grass fields, where Leslie, the only miltank on the farm, was just waking up herself. She grumbled as she saw Gloria approach, but dutifully displayed her milk glands that looked fit to burst.

Gloria and her mother started everyday with miltank milk. It sold well since miltank weren't always so accommodating, nor native to Galar. Most of them were temperamental, to say nothing of their tauros husbands. But Leslie was old, and her mate had died years ago. Like called to like, and so she mostly tolerated Gloria and her mother.

Leslie was generous today, and filled up four buckets, unusual considering she usually only had enough for two and a half. "Holdin' out on us, huh Leslie?" Gloria asked, if only to hide the incredulity on her face. Leslie snorted, and flicked her bulbous tail at her head. "Yeah, yeah don't get used to it, I hear you."

She hauled the buckets back, careful not to spill them. They couldn't waste a single drop. She set them down in the kitchen, grinning as she called out, "Gonna love this, mum! Leslie filled four buckets today. Enough for butter and cream."

She didn't wait for a reply, and instead went out to collect the eggs from the coop. Perhaps the exeggcute would be just as generous as Leslie today. Gloria was fairly certain the bickering would oust at least an egg or two from the batch.

They chatted and bickered among themselves as Gloria entered, only a few of them returned her greeting before nastily returning to their fellows. Several more sullenly called out greetings afterwards. She hummed in response as she collected the disregarded eggs beneath them, the bigger groups only had two or three eggs that they were willing to oust. Gloria kept a placid expression (the exeggcute were fond of mind reading when they thought someone had something to hide), but she was disappointed. This was far fewer eggs that she had hoped to sell at the farmer's market.

She fed them quietly, knowing they'd be too enamored bickering to notice her sullen expression. She left them with a quick goodbye, a chorus of 'bye' followed behind her. She couldn't fault the exeggcute for not meeting her expectations. While the disregarded eggs were devoid of any sentience, the exeggcute within the group had to absorb their fellow's consciousness. It couldn't be easy to do, no matter how much they bickered.

She didn't want to upset her mum, so she schooled her expression as she walked in, and set the basket on the countertop. "Decent batch today," was all she could manage. If her mother noticed the sudden mood swing, she didn't say. She simply hummed as she churned the milk into cream, brows furrowed in concentration. Gloria left her to it, she didn't want to talk and neither did Gloria. She went to eat breakfast alone, hoping the food would cover the ugly emotion stirring in her gut.

* * *

There was still some time before she needed to prep the budew for the fields, and with her mother hard at work churning the milk, Gloria carefully cradled one of the younger budew in her jacket as she snuck out towards the Slumbering Weald.

They were forbidden from going near it. It held many vicious and bloodthirsty beasts, but Gloria hadn't encountered much beyond some skittish grubbin. Budew mewled softly, wiggling under her coat. It was excited too, she knew.

She gently set it down, letting it warm and wake up with a couple of hops and jogs, before she kneeled to its level. "Ready buddy?" It chirped in response. She pitched a high whistle, and the budew released a yellow powder at an imaginary foe. Two low chirps, and it rolled and jumped to the left. Another single low chirp, but it only turned back towards her. She exhaled softly, before smiling. "It's alright. Two out of three is pretty good. Let's go over it a couple more times, okay?"

She didn't have a battler's license, so this was all technically illegal and fineworthy. Gloria didn't really see the harm, they weren't really battling anything, and budew didn't know any moves that could cause serious harm. The paralysis powder could be shaken off within a minute or so, and it did no harm to any of the surrounding wildlife. If there was any danger, Gloria would depend on her own two feet first. Hop complained that she could deliver quite a wallop.

Hadn't he said something about coming over the other day?

"Change of plans," she told the budew, who chirped as she hurriedly threw on her jacket, but happily jumped into her arms. She took off at a sprint, thanking her lucky stars that their farm was the closest to the eerie grove.

Hop was at her porch, jumping from one foot to the next in excitement. His wooloo munched at some weeds by his feet.

"Where you been, mate?!" He greeted her, smiling wide and bright as she set down the budew. "Don't ya know? Lee's back today, back for a whole week! So he says," he nattered as he followed Gloria around the front yard. "I've been talking with him-well me mum says nagging-but I think he's gonna do it!"

"Do what?" She said, distracted as she watered the budews, careful not to get it on their feed. She handed Hop a sprinkler, he went about watering without missing a beat.

"Giving me a 'mon, mate! Endorsing me for the gym challenge! Championship, here I come!" Wooloo bleated, as if agreeing with its owner. Gloria was sure it just wanted more weeds to eat. She shooed it as it wandered near the young budew. "And maybe," he continued, looking at her, "he'll give you a 'mon as well!"

Gloria froze, and then shook her head. "I'm uh, not sure that he would," she said carefully, gently. Hop had been going on and on about this, about needing a rival for this journey, someone who would keep him 'sharp'. She hadn't wanted to burst his bubble, and hadn't been concerned about the possibility of his brother sponsoring and endorsing a Gym Challenge, especially when the rest of his family were so dead set against it. "Or that I could."

"What! C'mon mate, think about how fun it'd be! Taking down Gym after Gym, traveling the world, surpassing Lee!" Hop sighed contently, Gloria couldn't really follow his thought process. She nudged the sprinkler in his hand back onto the row of budew. "I got it all planned out, you can't bail on me now!"

"Well it's not about how fun it would be," she said uneasily, dreading this topic. "It's about how uh, affordable it is? Can't leave me mum all on the farm by her lonesome."

Hop's mouth formed a little 'o', and he tilted his head to the side. "Oh uh, right," he said sheepishly, looking away. His wooloo was into the oats. She gave him a moment as she finished watering the budews, nudging his wooloo away. It bleated as it rolled down the path to the house. She started sweeping. "I mean," Hop started, rubbing at his neck, wincing, all the signs pointing towards some sort of thoughtless comment-"is it really that bad? It's just the two of you now. Thought it'd be cheaper, you know?"

Her grip tightened painfully on the broom, but she knew Hop was only trying to be helpful. She swallowed, her throat tight. "It's… well, it isn't cheaper," she said finally, carefully. "And Leslie's getting old. She's almost mellow now - that leads to nowhere good."

They lapsed back into silence, the only sound between them the _shwip_ swipe of the broom. Her mother would be done with the butter soon, if she wasn't already. She needed to get ready to hit the road, the farmer's market was closer to Wedgehurst than Postwick. She had set down the broom when Hop blurted, "What if you ask Lee?"

She fought off a frown. "Hop," she warned, but Hop plowed on through.

"I'm serious mate! You know he'd be happy to help out, lend yer mum some of his 'mons, maybe a bunch of moolah -"

She took his arm and shook it. "Hop," she growled, "stow it. I can't ask Lee, okay? It's too much. Way too much. Especially if he just feels bad-"

"It's not that! You know it's not that and you know he'd be okay with it," Hop argued, taking back his arm. There was an odd set to his brow, he'd been thinking about this, stewing in it. "Not just him, me mum, pa, and poppy, you know you just gotta ask-"

"Stow it, Hop!" The butterfree nesting in the bushes took wing. Gloria found her chest was heaving, her expression felt twisted. Hop's mouth was open, but there wasn't any words coming out. She exhaled loudly, all of her energy spent, gone and dusted. "Listen," she began, haltingly, "I'm sorry alright? But I can't, I won't-...ask for charity. Not when you've already done so much." She sniffed, her throat was tight again, painfully so. "I know it's what you wanted, I know it's what we promised when we were all young but-there'll be plenty of Gym Challengers who'd be over the moon to be the rival of the champ's brother, rivals who'll push you more than I ever could." She looked away, steadying herself. "Wait a spell, and lemme get ready. I'll walk with you to Wedgehurst to pick up Lee."

* * *

The air hadn't cleared by the time she was ready and loaded, and they walked in an uncomfortable silence. Hop didn't offer to lessen her load, and he kept his head down, hands tucked into his pockets. She didn't know how to clear it. She'd been too harsh, but that was the truth. She'd been accused of that before. Victor said… well, he said a lot of things, before. Not so much now. She worried at her lip, looking to the horizon to banish the thought.

Hop was looking to the horizon too, but she didn't think he was looking or waiting to see Wedgehurst break across it. If he was… she really needed to apologize. She opened her mouth, didn't get much farther than that before Hop stopped and turned to look at her.

"It's okay," he told her, his expression… she couldn't describe it. Serene? It was the same look Leon wore when facing down a tough opponent. "I'm gonna do it for all of us. I'll become Champion, so you don't need to worry anymore."

Gloria let herself smile, closing her eyes as she shook her head. "You don't need to do it for anyone 'sides yourself," she said softly, before jerking her head to the road. "C'mon, his train arrives soon."

* * *

There was a crowd by the station, a bigger crowd than the farmer's market could ever hope to attract. She broke away from Hop to set up by the stalls, but kept an eye on the crowd, listening to Charizard's growls and snorts in between the roaring crowd. Even in a small town like Wedgehurst, there were plenty of fans looking for an autograph. Leon would be a while yet before Hop would be able to take him back home.

She looked woefully at her stock. It was so much less than what the others had, more than she anticipated. She wiped the sweat from her brow, it was unusually hot this morning. Perhaps it was Charizard's doing? A hot flame _was_ a healthy flame, after all.

The crowd was growing, and Gloria was pleasantly surprised to see some of them meander over towards the stalls, if only to grab a drink. She sold a couple of bottles, many of them simply because it was sweaty and hot. She would have to thank Charizard later.

The day went on like that for sometime. Leon spent a good deal of time greeting everyone, and then a little while longer trying to hunt down the Pokemon Lab. Gloria could only watch in amusement. It really was a check and balance of nature, and one of the more annoying ones. Leon couldn't even put his undies on without getting turned around. The press played it up as endearing, but Leon had only ever had one live interview in his time as Champion, and that was fresh off the pitch after he'd won the role. Everything else got rescheduled.

It was irresponsible. Leon knew it, Charizard knew it, everyone knew it. Gloria didn't see Leon often enough to tell, but was he trying? Was he trying to be better? (She knew he was, in her heart of hearts. But it was easier to pretend he didn't.)

Hop was at his side, playfully jabbing and talking with him. Leon put up with it well, but he gave his brother several noogies throughout the day. They both stuck around, and Gloria suspected they were waiting for her. Charizard snoozed peacefully nearby, keeping an eye on his trainer.

At one point, Leon came by to buy a drink before offering it back to her. She gave him a grateful look, and chugged the bottle in one go. He stood by awkwardly, quietly. Gloria watched him for a moment, and then decided to indulge him. "How are things?"

"Good," he replied quickly, looking everywhere but at her. "They're good, really good. Couple of ah, incidents, but nothing Charizard and I couldn't handle."

"You are the unbeatable Champion," she said coolly, before making a show of checking her stock. Incidents huh. "There isn't anything you can't handle."

He winced and scratched at the back of his neck, but she knew he could say nothing to that.

She sighed and decided to cut to the chase. "Hop sent you, didn't he. To make nice. That's nice of him. Listen Leon, don't-"

"You should have said something." He cut in, and while his expression was soft, his tone was anything but. "Your mum should have said something, I shouldn't have to find out second hand." Charizard stirred, opening one eye to watch them as he let out a grumble. Leon shot Charizard an irritated look before turning back to her. "I'm sure Hop's said this over and over but-"

"It's not your responsibility. It isn't your family's responsibility." She interrupted, because she couldn't-she couldn't hear this again and again-

"There's nothing wrong with accepting a bit of help when you're down on hard times," Leon said reasonably, and Gloria hated him for it. There was no easy rebuttal. "You're hurting, you and your mum, and you're hurting bad. Neither of you have taken any time, not even a week, or a day! -to grieve."

"It wouldn't stop hurting. It wouldn't change anything," she said, hating that he was reminding her. Her stomach twisted in knots, and it was a disgusting slimy feeling that made her want to barf. She laughed weakly, swallowing the bile. "I think it would make it worse," she said quietly.

Charizard grumbled again. Leon sighed, and pulled his cap over his face. "You're not being a burden," he said finally, muffled by his cap. "You and your mum. Aren't a burden. Never will be a burden, so don't go thinking that. Friends help friends. That's all it is." He repeated sternly, as if that would make the message stick better.

She didn't have anything to say to that. "...It'll be another hour before I'll be ready to leave. You go home and see your mum, yeah? She wants to see you, wants to see you like Hop does. I'll be fine here."

Leon knew his battles, and he knew better than to press this one. "I'll send Charizard back to collect you. He isn't allowed in the house anyway. You want to see Hop's big surprise, right?"

Gloria couldn't deny that. She nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

The day passed quickly after that. Charizard returned in short order, and took up post nearby. All the children were enamored with him, so much so that she was a little hesitant to leave when he seemed to be enjoying himself. Charizard was a battler though, through and through-a warrior, some would call him-and he squared himself up for departure in short order. He looked longingly at the children who were waving to him, before he chuffed at her.

She held back a giggle. "You miss when Leon was that small? It's been a long time since either of them climbed all over you like a jungle gym." He only snorted. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

Leon and Hop were waiting outside as they arrived, and came to help unload as Charizard touched down. Their mum had a barbecue going, and was chatting animatedly with Hop's poppy and Gloria's own mum. Charizard was rewarded his own stick for a 'job well done' and gnawed at it by the fence.

They stuck to safe topics as they ate, although Hop did plenty of whining and badgering. It was close to sunset by the time they finally got around to Hop's 'surprise'.

They all gathered around the small stadium in the backyard where Leon dramatically flared his cape, tipped his cap. Hop groaned good naturedly. "C'mon Lee! No time for the dramatics, you promised us a present!"

Everyone went suddenly still.

"Us?" Gloria echoed, looking not at Hop, but at Leon who said, _who promised_, he wouldn't do this. He held her gaze easily, without a hint of remorse.

Hop looked fit to seize. "Uh, surprise?"

* * *

**A/N: Hi everyone! Kudos to those who got this far, since most of this chapter was just worldbuilding.**

**A couple of housekeeping notes regarding this story - it is a novelization of the new POKeMON games, so if you haven't played and don't want to be spoiled, I don't recommend reading this story. That said, I'm not afraid to mess around with canon when it suits me, also because Gloria/PC in canon is just a freakish battle prodigy. I've tried to give her some nuance here, time will only tell if that works out.**

**There will be no romantic ships in this story. It's just not my cup of tea, but there will be plenty of exploration of Hop and Gloria's friendship as they progress through the Galar region. **

**Any and all reviews are welcome, I'd love to have your feedback! **


	2. Chapter 2

"Uh, please don't be mad mate," Hop said, stepping between them. "You know me, I asked, I nagged, I badgered… he gave in!" He fidgeted under her stare. "And you know… it might, be a uh, good thing? A pokemon I mean. A bit of time on the road. Fresh air, all the likes."

"Sonia from the lab was hoping for some company," his mum added, rather unhelpfully in Gloria's opinion. "Her nan's been nagging her for months to get out on the road."

She pursed her lips. Tried to think of something that wasn't outright hostile. Failed and continued to say nothing. "I see," she said, and then to be polite she added, "it's a very thoughtful gift. Thank you."

Leon took out (bizarrely) three balls before tossing them up in the air. Gloria was only intimately familiar with the scorbunny, their neighbour had one, swore by it for patting down dirt. The other two, well, she recognized them from a school textbook, but didn't know anything about them beyond that. The grookey clambered up a tree to whack at a piece of fruit, while the sobble lounged in the pond. The scorbunny went about trying to impress the lot of them with some laps. They were all very cute.

"All right," Leon ordered, "Line up everyone!" Gloria was pleasantly surprised to see them obey. They hadn't seemed trained at first glance, but they were clearly disciplined. Leon grinned at the lot of them. "I thought that something of a choice might make for a bit of fun. Which will you choose?"

"You go first," Hop said before she could say anything to the contrary. "I've already got my wooloo, so it's only fair you get first pick!"

She crouched down to get a better look at them. They were curious, in the way that they leaned towards her, but per Leon's orders, remained rooted to the spot.

Nobody rushed her. Everybody was content to remain quiet as she examined each of the pokemon in turn, and nobody offered any opinion about who she should choose. A pokemon for herself, with no pressure or bias for one or the other. It was very thoughtful of them.

Gloria went with the sobble as it had the best practical use for her mum's garden and fields. "What's this one's name?" She asked, holding out a hand for the little lizard to examine.

Leon sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck. "Uh, well. I didn't give them any. And you know I'm no good with names," Charizard let out a large snort from where he was lounging, "They're young though, I'm sure they'll accept any name you give them."

Gloria looked at the sobble thoughtfully. It had mustered up the courage to place a single foot on her outstretched finger. "Newt," she decided, since it seemed sort of fitting. It looked a little like a long extinct animal she'd seen in a science textbook. Perhaps it was some sort of evolution of the creature.

"You'll have to register it with that name in the Gym Challenge, mate," Hop reminded, and yeah, Gloria knew she wasn't very creative with names. She was really hoping that the sobble would already have a name, or the very least a translatable one that it called itself. Still the Gym Challenge?

She looked at him over her shoulder. "Bit early to be considering that, don't you think?" Newt was one thing, but owning and training up an entire team within six months? Hard pass. It wasn't something done on a whim. She wasn't even sure if she would apply for a battler license.

"Oh uh, yeah!" Hop's voice was a little too high pitched to be normal, but Newt finally had all its feet on her hand, and she didn't want to ruin that. Newt was anxiety personified, but willing and more importantly, trusting. She stood slowly to keep her arm steady, although Newt immediately clung to it like a lifeline. She gave Newt a smile, and received a tearful, wobbly one in return. "So it'll be sobble for you? Unless heh, you just want to give them all names," Hop said with a bright smile. He didn't need to wait for an answer. "Then I'll go with...scorbunny! C'mon mate!" The scorbunny chirped and did a lap in glee. "Glad you got some energy! We'll be needing it if we want to beat Leon!" He palmed his wooloo's ball, releasing the sheep in a shower of white sparks. "Hey Wooby! Come on out and meet our newest member!"

But Wooby was a simple creature. It didn't spare the scorbunny so much as a glance before rolling towards the unattended table to feast on any leftover scraps. The scorbunny thought this was a great idea, but obediently stopped when Leon whistled. Leon looked fondly at his brother. "Still giving you trouble little bro?"

"Wooby no! Bad wooloo! C'mon mate don't make me look bad!" Hop cried out in vain as he ran after Wooby, fighting to wrap his arms around it as it struggled against him. Scorbunny seemed to think that this was some kind of game, and joined in by throwing its arms around Hop's legs.

"I could swear on a pelliper's beak that he picked the dumbest of the lot," his mum sighed, shaking her head. "A right rascal that one."

"It'll be good for him," Leon responded, watching as Hop sorted Wooby out. He let out a fond little hum before turning his attention back to the grookey that was waiting none too impatiently. "Alright bud, and that means you're with Vicky!"

"What?" Gloria's mum started, the first thing she'd said all night. "Oh Leon, you shouldn't have…"

Leon shook his head and gave her a thin lipped smile. "Grookey and I won't take no for an answer. He'll have to stay as a grookey of course; thwackies register as G-C but we've got plenty of everstones here," he said as grookey hopped toward her mum to tug at her overalls.

It tugged again as her mum stiffly held her elbows, looking up at her with a soft expression. She sighed and bent down to pick it up, nervously leaning away as it adjusted itself in her arms. "...Thank you Leon. This is an extraordinary gift."

"Gloria!" Hop had finally wrangled Wooby into submission, tucking it against his side. It bleated in despair before chewing on his jacket. Hop didn't let it bother him. "It's time! Let's battle! Pyro against Newt!" Pyro chirped happily as it raced out from behind his legs, hopping from one foot to the next in excitement.

Newt made a clicking noise from deep in its throat before jumping from her shoulder to the small stadium across from Pyro. It looked at her questioningly when she didn't immediately follow it. Gloria frowned at Hop. "Battle? Hop I haven't even had Newt for ten minutes."

"Exactly! It's a perfect test for the battler license!" Hop made a pumped fist with one hand. "C'mon! Let's get to it, mate!"

"It's good practice," Leon agreed, stepping back to make room. "Not sure if its the case this time around, but some gym missions force challengers to use rental 'mons."

"Gym missions?" Gloria looked at him as if he'd grown another head. "Why would I want to be practicing for a gym mission? I don't even know if I'm going to get a battler's license."

"You don't?" Leon looked genuinely surprised. "But Vicky, you said-" He cut himself off as he looked at Gloria's mum, who turned away from him. "Vicky?"

Grookey frowned from where it sat in Vicky's arms. Gloria looked at her mum, and with every minute shake of her shoulder, every second that she refused to look at Gloria, reminded her of how long it had been since they last spoken with each other. When they last asked each other about the others' day, when they last hugged, or when they last said hello and goodbye.

"You want me gone," she said aloud, and her mum flinched, flinched as though Gloria had struck her. The empty pit in her chest grew tight, tight like a vice, tight like a hungry seviper. "Y-you ah-actually-" She couldn't choke it out. Nobody spoke and with every second, every second that her mum didn't deny it, every second became a torturous eternity _because her mum wasn't denying it_.

Gloria couldn't look at her anymore. The closet face was Charizard's, and he had nothing but pity for her, and that was almost worse. Her eyes burned. Her legs gave out from beneath her. Newt chirped in alarm before climbing onto her knee.

"Vicky," Leon said softly. "Please talk to us. Let us help."

She just shook, even as grookey moved to hug her neck, as Hop's mum put a gentle arm around her shoulders. Grief had long stolen her tears, scarred her face. "...I-I've never been strong," she said in a whisper, but it resonated like a scream. Gloria knew she would hear the echo of it for a long, long time. Newt whimpered, clinging to her pants as she stood.

"You can't say that," Gloria heard herself say, from somewhere far away. "You can't say that, _you can't_!" She couldn't say that, she couldn't, not when-"how could you say that when you've been _whole before_!"

Her mum could only weep. Leon had joined his mother in comforting her mum, and he was mouthing something at her, "Not now, please not now," over and over again.

She couldn't stand it, she couldn't stand here and watch this. She took off in a sprint, and let her tears blind her.

* * *

Perhaps some other time, she might have been impressed with how well Leon trained Newt, but instead she found herself annoyed. It was clearly terrified out of its wits, but it stuck with her as she entered the Slumbering Weald, refusing to abandon her. It blinked blankly at her when she set it on the ground and told it to stay, climbing up her back a second later to perch on her shoulder.

She wanted to be mad, wanted to be furious. She couldn't bring herself to feel anything more than a deep seated emptiness, and maybe that was fitting for the Slumbering Weald. It was so empty, so quiet that her heaving breaths sounded like blasts of a foghorn. It was only her and Newt for miles around.

"Gloria! Mate, where are ya?!"

Perhaps not.

She tried to feel bad when she said nothing. Hop could get lost in here, and while it was certain that Leon and Charizard weren't far behind him, the weald had swallowed up others before. She hugged her knees and stared out at a whole lot of nothing.

Newt wouldn't have it and let out a long croaking noise, like a gurgle. Like a moth to a flame, Pyro came, and Hop wasn't far behind. He pulled up short, and for once, didn't say anything. Pyro circled around to peer at her, and chirped as it saw Newt. It did a little dance, excited to play with its friend. Newt hesitantly made its way down to Pyro, and kept glancing at her, a silent question in its eyes.

It would have been ridiculously cute if she wasn't so miserable. She closed her eyes and gave it a little nod to go play, but Newt stayed put. She couldn't fathom how it had already become so loyal. She hadn't had Newt for more than ten minutes. Was it some sort of therapy 'mon? Leon would do that. She hoped for the familiar swell of bitterness to rise up into her throat, but new wounds hurt far more than the old ones did.

"...We should go back," Hop said after a time, a time so long her legs were numb with the chill. "They're probably worried about us."

One of them wasn't. One of them wanted her to go off on a journey so that she might never see Gloria's ugly mug again. She stood up and walked away. She hoped it wasn't in the direction of the exit.

Hop kept up easily with his long strides, she could feel him watching her, and knew he was wearing a frown. "Lee's going to be pissed, mate."

"Then he can blow off," she said as she picked up the pace because the thought of Leon getting pissed at her cheesed her off more than she could describe. "He went to me mum's side and let her whinge and moan about how hard it is to see my ugly mug," she spat angrily, clenching her fists.

"I think he wants to hear the full story. Me mum thought Vicky was really getting better. It's been almost four years, you know? Long time to...well, I'm just going to put a sock in that one." Hop said, catching himself before he could make a fool out of himself.

"She's not going to get better," she said shortly. It was surprising how final it felt, but deep down, Gloria knew her mum was broken in a way that couldn't be fixed. No fire to her, and now that Gloria thought about it, there hadn't been a fire in a long time. She swallowed tightly. "Do you know that the last time she said something to me, last time she opened her mouth was almost three weeks ago? Asked me if I watered the budews. She won't look at me. Always preoccupied with something or the other, and that's fine that's normal since it's just the two of us, but she won't even look up to say hello." Gloria felt herself tremble. "Doesn't smile at me, sometimes she just goes and leaves the room if I'm in it. She doesn't do anything. A-and I thought, well she's just busy, she's just stressed. Bad harvest, Leslie being in a right frump, exeggcute nattering and yakking… turns out I'm just a stupid halfwit."

Hop put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Newt had climbed up enough of her back to see that her eyes were wet, and promptly burst into tears. She tried to choke out a laugh as they all started tearing up, this sort of thing was funny right? But it came out as a wail, and once she started, she couldn't stop.

Hop pulled her close and she cried into his shoulder. She could feel Pyro nuzzling his face against her leg, the weight of Newt on her shoulder. "I always thought that when he died, Victor, V-victor took the brains with him. But that's not true is it? I think he just took everything instead. No wonder mum can't stand to look at me, I've got his face but nothing else-"

"I'm sorry mate." Hop said helplessly as he gave her a pat on the back. "But you can't say that. Y-you couldn't have known-"

Something growled from behind him. Hop whipped around as Gloria stared at the monster in the fog. It had a growl like an onix, deep and guttural, but a build like a liepard if liepard grew to be over nine feet tall. Orange eyes pierced through the fog, and maybe Gloria was a little off by calling it a liepard, even a freakishly mutant one. What in all of bloody Galar was this thing?

Hop laughed nervously. "It's gone a bit pear-shaped hasn't it mate?" He swallowed visibly. "Can see why they didn't want us in the woods."

Gloria couldn't look away. "Newt," she said without taking her eyes off the monster, "cry at it. That should impede its vision." It would impede theirs too, but if it would just blink or look away from them for a moment…

Newt didn't need any encouragement and burst into tears. Gloria felt her eyes water uncomfortably but if she blinked or took her eyes off it it would attack. It growled again as they took slow steps back, and she couldn't tell with the fog if it was crying or not. She needed to see movement. "Can you shoot water at it? Just a little burst, Newt."

The fog was getting thicker. Newt shot off a blast but Gloria couldn't see half a foot ahead of her, just a looming silhouette. She couldn't see Hop beside her, couldn't hear him. Newt dug its claws into her shoulder, and she couldn't see the hand that she brought up to comfort it.

She couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel-

She woke up in bed. Only Newt's teary eyed presence shook her belief that it was a dream.

* * *

Two days later saw Gloria wake up with the sun. She milked Leslie, collected the exeggcute eggs, cleaned out the muck from the rapidash stalls, and watered the budew. Breakfast and Newt were waiting for her by the time she returned, the latter fretted and didn't let go of her shoulder for the rest of the day.

She took breakfast into her room. Made a final check of everything-clothes, toiletries, collapsable tent, a sleeping roll. A flashlight with a few extra sets of batteries, food for the road. Newt's ball, although Newt wasn't very fond of it. A rotom smartphone. Gloria been far from happy when Leon purchased her a camping set, and close to furious when he dropped off the rotom smartphone.

But it was smart to have it, and it functioned well as an electronic wallet, along with a bunch of other features. It could even be used as an ID once she uploaded her health card onto it. She didn't put the home number as a contact, just Hop and Leon.

Finally, she secured a cooking pot and a small hatchet and shovel to her pack. It felt a bit like carrying air, at least compared to lugging glass bottles of mooloo milk back and forth every week for the farmer's market.

She made a lot of noise as she packed and readied herself. No one was by the front door when she was finally ready. She packed away the familiar feeling of emptiness. Newt croaked worriedly.

"It's okay," she said softly. "I'll be fine."

She and Hop agreed to meet at Wedgehurst's train station. Hop wasn't an early riser, and already had his battler's license. Sonia would fret over her in Hop's stead, under the guise of travel arrangements. Gloria would be Sonia's bodyguard while she investigated some historical sights. It was a load of tauros' bull, but Gloria couldn't find it in herself to argue. Sonia was easy to talk to.

This early in the morning, there were still 'mons out and about that were eager to get into her pack. She kicked at nickits and grubbins, and waved her shovel around at opportunistic rookidees. She took her pack off once or twice to shoo a skwovet. Newt hesitated on her shoulder, shivering and shaking when she whistled to strike their foes with a shot of water. Water would shoot way off target, and Newt froze up at her commands, leaving Gloria to run the 'mons off. Newt looked at her tearfully, shamefully, and she held Newt in her arms. It was okay, it was still early in her battle career. Newt could be scared in battle, she needed to earn that trust.

It felt like a mudbray's age by the time she pushed open the doors into the PKMN Centre after bidding goodbye to Sonia who would wait for her at the train station. The receptionist Meredith smiled at her as she entered. "Welcome to the Personal Care Monster Veterinary Centre. How may I help you?"

"I'd like to apply for a battler's license?"

"Absolutely! If you go over to that rotom booth, it will set up and print your license for you," she said as she scanned the card.

Was it really so easy? Gloria approached the booth warily, and inserted her ID.

WELCOME MISS SHIELD. HOW MAY I HELP YOU?

It was annoying to tab through all the options, the license for battlers was one of the last few options bizarrely.

CERTAINLY. PLEASE PLACE YOUR DOMINANT HAND ON THE SCANNER. THIS WILL TAKE A MOMENT.

It was surprising how easy the identification process was. Gloria was surprised she didn't need three forms of ID. She scrolled through the terms and conditions listlessly, nobody actually read these did they?

CONGRATULATIONS MISS SHIELD! YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REGISTERED AS A BATTLER. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS CORRECT.

Shield, Gloria

AGE: 15

DOB: 11/15/20XX

Grade-D CATCHES PERMITTED

ID No. 005397

They used an unflattering school photo from a year ago. Gloria winced, but printed it anyway. Beggars couldn't be choosers. She brought the card back to Meredith. "Great! All we need to do now is to register your sobble into our system, and see if its fit for battle. It shouldn't take any longer than ten minutes is that alright?" She typed a couple of things into her keyboard. "The nurse will call for you in a few minutes, take a seat wherever you please."

Gloria stayed standing. Newt looked about the room as if expecting a wild onix to pop out from under the floor. She really needed to read up on sobbles. Was Newt's anxiety atypical for its species? She supposed it was a prey animal.

A pink haired nurse in scrubs and a clipboard came out from a door marked for employees, and smiled as she spotted Gloria. "Hiya! My name's Quinn, and I'll be conducting a short physical examination on your sobble today, I just have a few questions alright?"

"Uh yeah, sure?"

"How long have you been in possession of your sobble?"

"Two days and a night."

"Do you know of the sobble's living conditions prior to your ownership?"

"No but Newt seems well trained. Listens really well."

"What is Newt's daily intake?"

"Uh."

The questions went on and on before Quinn finally seemed satisfied. She gave Gloria the clipboard to verify and sign, and then held out her arms for Newt.

Newt reluctantly climbed onto Quinn's arm and shot Gloria a nervous look as she disappeared behind the closed door. Gloria busied herself with registering her license onto her phone for insurance and looking up what she was allowed to catch. She was pleased to see she had a wide variety of choices but then which of those to add to her team? There were a lot of options, and they'd only grow as she went along.

Quinn wasn't long with Newt, and she was smiling as she came back. "All good to go! He's rather fretful, so I suggest introducing him to battling slowly, with lots of treats and snuggles. Sobble as a rule are carnivores, you'll be needing to feed him about fifteen to ten crickets a day, or that equivalent in raw meat."

Newt jumped into her arms as though he'd been gone for years instead of minutes. He clung to her sweater like a lifeline. "He's quite taken with you," Quinn said fondly. "The sobble line typically take a two month adjustment period to get used to their trainers-longer if they're evolved. You take care of each other, all right?"

Gloria gave him a pat as she thanked Quinn before hurrying out. The train wouldn't leave until 10:30 something, but she wanted to secure a booth for all three of them to sit in.

It was odd, sitting in the booth, waiting for the train to leave. A week ago she would have never even considered going on a journey with her own 'mon. It was Victor's dream, not hers. She thought it had died with him, because how could she consider going out in a world like that? A world where she and her mum didn't even get bodies to bury?

Newt hit her arm gently with his head. Her smartphone woke up back to the archived website of _Galar Daily Post_. If she scrolled down, she would find it-the article that changed her life. Newt crawled onto her thumb to block her sight and bopped the phone with his head. He looked at her shyly with his head tucked down.

Gloria couldn't stop the small smile formed on her lips. "Thanks Newt," she said softly as she brought him into her lap, closing her eyes as she listened to the hustle and bustle of the train. It was Victor's dream, but she could make it her own goal.

* * *

**A/N: I was pleasantly surprised by the number of readers I got on this story. We're finally past the beginning, next time we'll be seeing some real action! :) **

**I've heard through the grapevine that there's some unpleasantness going on in this fandom's reviews, and I have the following to say about it: **

**Please do not clog up the reviews and comments attacking other reviewers. It discourages users from reviewing, especially when it is over ****arbitrary fandom rules. Please respect each others' opinions or prepare to be blocked.**

* * *

PKMN is an abbreviation used by the Galar League. It stands for Personal Kare, Monster VeteriNary Services

Grade (G) is a value assigned to pokemon based on the threat they pose to society. It is used to regulate what people can and cannot catch; civilians are restricted to G-E, battlers at G-D, while gym challengers start at G-D and are gradually allowed to catch and train higher Grades the further along they are in the Gym Challenge. Pokemon that are G-A cannot be caught, but exceptions can be made if it has been raised from a lower Grade. Notable examples of G-A Pokemon is Scyther and its evolutions, Tyranitar, Bewear, Gyarados etc.


	3. Chapter 3

Wooby heralded Hop's arrival with a usual onset of chaos. Bags fell out of their overhead carriages. Passengers were bowled over. Three train tickets lost to Wooby's gaping mouth before Hop wrangled Wooby back under his control.

Hop fell into the booth with a sigh and put his head on the table. "He's like a morpeko," he said into his lap, "but instead of hangry, its people. Wooby's so good one-on-one! But if I bring him out anywhere else…" He groaned. "It's like he's part tauros! You wouldn't even believe how strong I've gotten getting him back under control." He said as he looked up at her, dragging his hands down his face.

"Good practice?" Gloria offered as she lifted Pyro onto the table where he happily chirped and rubbed himself against Newt. "Wild 'mons aren't known to listen at first."

"Ugh. I need a starter that's a big brute like Charizard. Scare 'im stiff." Pyro protested that with a whine. "Not that you're not a big brute Pyro! But Wooby… he doesn't know fear."

"Wooby is your big brute."

"He's his own big brute mate." Hop said as he put his cheek in his palm, eyeing Wooby's ball. "Lee was the one who told me to train one of our wooloos. Think he meant it to be my own personal obstacle? He used to help herd them before he went off on his journey."

"I wouldn't put it past him to make it some sort of obstacle since wooloo aren't known for their… fighting expertise." Hop got Wooby as a makeshift starter before he was even nine. Wooby probably couldn't take him seriously. But Gloria didn't want to think about when they were nine.

The train whistled loudly as it prepared to leave. Newt jumped to cower in her sweater. Gloria patted him as she leaned out into the aisle, frowning when she couldn't spot any redheads. "Is Sonia coming? Train's about to leave." She looked outside to see if she was on the platform, pulling her sweater open so that Pyro could join Newt.

"She get caught up in the Lab?" Hop took a pic of Gloria's lumpy tummy.

"She said she'd be waiting by the train station. Did you see her?"

"Naw, but she would have definitely seen me. Wooby got out of his ball on the platform." Hop winced as he shook Wooby's ball, now reinforced with an administrator lock. Hop would need to initiate an eye scan before it could unlock.

Gloria watched as a flash of red burst out of the station, waving frantically as the train lurched forward. Sonia had several books and letters tucked under her arm and stuffed in her purse, a train ticket clenched between her teeth. "Huh. Guess she did get caught up in the Lab." Newt popped his head out her sweater to look up at her. "It's okay Newt. Just the train pulling out." He whimpered and returned to the comfort of her sweater.

Sonia emerged into the aisle a few cars down. Gloria waved her down and scooted over to let her in the booth. "Whew! Sorry about that. Gran's got me on a wild swanna chase." She dumped three thick books on the table that sent Newt trying to crawl deeper into her sweater. "And I brought your endorsements! Leon was supposed to give them to you, but Motostoke called on him. Probably for the opening ceremony. It's in a month right?"

"A month and six days!" Hop said excitedly, pumping his fist. Sonia handed him his letter that he tucked into his jacket as he continued, "plenty of time to check around the Wild Area for some 'mons!" Gloria tucked her own away in a zippered compartment of her bag.

Sonia hummed. "Do you get the subsided cost as a gym challenger for an escort before the opening ceremony starts though? They're pretty expensive, you know." Gloria hoped so. Otherwise she'd need to invest in a foghorn. Or a bat. Maybe both.

"Nah, I got Pyro and Wooby! No need for an escort 'mon. They're nothing that my team won't be able to do." Pyro chirped from inside her sweater, she gently lifted him out so that he could pester his trainer.

"You have an undisciplined chaotic wooloo and an earnest scorbunny." Gloria reminded him. "That's not going to stop something as weak as a Grade D 'mon."

"Yeah. Escorts are retired Gym 'mons," Sonia frowned as she curled her hair around her finger. "Even if you get to the Champion role-which you will! It doesn't compare to the experience that an escort has in defending itself and a group of people from an out of control wild 'mon. There's bewears that they haven't flushed out you know!"

"I'll stay close to Motostoke. Kabu himself patrols the area off-season," Hop dismissed, smiling widely. "'Sides, wasn't that bewear scare a couple of months ago? They called Lee in. No way there's any left."

"They breed like durants." Gloria said bluntly, which wasn't quite true because durants only bred once a year when heatmors hibernated to stave off the worst of winter. Bewear bred year round whenever, wherever, and even with a mother bewear that already had pups.

"Well, I think you should check to see if they'll wave part of your cost anyway Hop, especially if you want to check out every part of the Wild Area. Dusty Bowl and Lake of Outrage are escort only areas." Sonia said, laying off the topic. Gloria was certain she'd give Leon a call who would take it upon himself to get Hop to see reason. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you guys if you'd be up to helping me out with some of my research? I can pay you!"

Oh? "What would you want us to do?"

"Some field research!" Sonia set aside two of three books, opening up one titled _Ancient Galar_: _A History_. The text was small and dense but Sonia flipped through it easily, settling on a two page image of the strange markings in Turffield. "I know you've been Hop, but Gloria what do you know of the Turffield Hill?" Pyro stared at the page from his spot in Hop's lap, and even Newt briefly emerged to eye the picture.

"Just what Year 7 History taught me? A depiction of the Dynamax phenomenon." Gloria personally thought it could also be an adult standing in the sun with children, but she wasn't about to say that. Newt yawned and nestled back down.

"You're right but it's also so much more than that." Sonia pointed at the swirling mass that Gloria typically mistook for the sun. "This indicates that dynamaxing is the result of exposure, radiation exposure from a certain source. Gran theorized that this radiation came from the Wishing Stars that pop up here and around in Galar, and I agree that they definitely contain _some_ of that energy. But we've dug deep beneath the Gym Stadiums and there's no Wishing Stars deposits there. So then where does the dynamax energy come from, you ask? Well-"

"Sonia, mate, not to be rude and all, but the field research?" Hop interrupted to Gloria's relief. She was happy that Sonia had found her passion, but the topic… Well, Gloria had never been a fan. It was more terrifying than fascinating.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I got a little off track," Sonia said sheepishly. "I'd like to look into some of the dens that mons sometimes dynamax in. I just need you both to run some tests at the site-nothing dangerous!-and then send them to me. I'm working on getting an app developing for rotom that'll allow it to take the readings and send them directly to me." Sonia stopped then, pausing to look them in the eyes. "Sites where dynamax mons have been recorded but aren't currently _present_. You're still challengers, neither of you should be anywhere _near_ a mon that's dynamaxed. Only challengers who are three badges certified can do that so don't even think about it, Hop."

"I wasn't thinking about it!" Hop yelped. "Gimme a little bit of credit mate, I'm not about to bite off more than I can chew." He frowned, rubbing at the back of his head. "'Sides, we both know first hand what a rampaging dynamax mon can do."

Sonia gasped and looked at Gloria. "Oh my goodness, Gloria I wasn't even thinking-!"

"It's fine," Gloria said as she tried to keep her hands flat against the table, as she fought to keep her expression carefully neutral. She almost believed it. "It wasn't a 'mon protecting its den anyway." She cleared her throat. "Plus there'll be plenty of dynamaxing in the Gym Challenge."

Gloria pointedly looked out the window to avoid Sonia's concerned look, but there wasn't much to see beyond the dim lights illuminating the train tunnel. It was a long eight hour ride to Motostoke, and already Gloria had made it awkward. "...Well, mate what can you tell us about the Gym Challenge?" Hop piped up after a moment, eager to clear the air.

"Oh! Hm, well it's been awhile you know? I was a little older than you guys when I did it, but it's still been six years since then! Six years is still a lot of time! Most of the gym leaders now are different except for Kabu, Opal, Melony and Gordie. Plus I didn't really get that far…" Gloria could see Sonia twisting her hair between her fingers again. "...It's very physically intensive. They don't really advertise that part but you've got to keep on top of your game if you want to compete in the Finals. It averages out to something like a badge every two to three weeks, and even a single loss can drown you. It's...it's not for everyone Hop." Sonia said gently. "Only ten of the hundred endorsed make it to the Finals on a good year."

Hop wasn't one to be easily deterred. "If Lee can do it, so can I! I'm gonna be the one to unseat him, I know it!"

Gloria found herself dozing as Hop continued to hype himself up while Sonia failed to taper down his enthusiasm. Nothing Sonia could say would deter him, not the fear of death or catastrophic injury, not any of the horrific Gym Challenges that she described in great and graphic detail. Hop's unbreakable will and spirit… Gloria liked that about him.

"-so I nearly drowned in Hulbury's Gym when I took on the Gym Mission, definitely be ready for that. A lot of the missions are based on testing the challenger's physical limits, it's only while taking on the GLs-" Sonia and Hop's conversation drifted in and out of focus as Gloria closed her eyes and concentrated on Newt's cool body burrowed deep in her sweater, the slight rise and fall of his little body as he slept on, oblivious.

She really was doing this, wasn't she? She was taking on the Gym Challenge for her long dead twin. Less than a week ago she would have called the Gym Challenge a fool's journey-not that it wasn't!-and that you had to be madder than a sneasel in a lucario nest to take it on. (Hop was a good friend, a great friend really he was, but that didn't mean Gloria thought his declaration to become the Champion was any less madder. Leon managed it at nineteen, and he was a prodigy. Hop was fourteen and… not quite a prodigy like his brother.)

Well, Gloria had played the fool many times before hadn't she? What was one more time in the face of all that?

* * *

The train was lingering far longer at the Rolling Field Station than Gloria thought possible. Did anyone even get off at this stop besides those employed by the Galar League? Gloria passed an hour on her new phone, subscribing to Gym Leaders' media platforms, scouring their pages for any hints or tips for hopeful Gym Challengers. Hop bemoaned the recommended training regimen for Gym Challengers set out by Raihan, and blamed his skinny legs on the telly.

At an hour and fifteen, there was an announcement over the speakers. "Attention all passengers. Attention. This is a terminal station, this train is now out of service. Please exit the train. Attention all passengers-"

"What?! Aw c'mon mate really?!" Hop whined, dragging his hands down his face. "What gives?! 811's the express to Motostoke!"

"There'll be another train to pick us up," Gloria assured him, even if she didn't really believe it. There were only a few things that could cause a train nowadays to go out of service, especially so close to the Champion Cup.

"I hope so," Sonia said frowning, Gloria suspected she was following the same line of thought she had. "811 is only ever scheduled once every other week. But they can't just abandon us here so…"

Gloria's heart sank as she spied several Galar League officials speaking with the conductors a little ways off, gesturing to the tracks and shaking their heads. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but league officials in places where the Galar League wasn't operating? Never meant anything good.

An overhead announcement confirmed her suspicions. "Attention all passengers. Attention. A dynamaxed meowstic has destroyed the tracks leading to Motostoke. All trains heading in this direction are cancelled until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

Sonia winced. "Ah, what a right bloody mess. The damage must be bad if they've got to cancel service. Not the first nor the last time though- meowstic always cause a ruckus, I think the noise is too loud for them, poor things."

"How are we going to make it to Motostoke now!?" Hop cried as he watched every train bound to Motostoke cancel itself on the overhead schedule. "We'll miss our chance to register for the Gym Challenge!"

"I doubt the train will be out for that long, Hop," Sonia tried to say, but Hop didn't seem to be listening. "Maybe a week at best. You'll still have plenty of time to register."

"At best?! Mate I might as well hang up my hat!" Hop dragged his hands down his hair and face as he wailed like a baby. He'd be viral within the hour if he kept this up. "There's no way I'll be able to complete all my Gym prep in time! I don't even have half a team yet!"

"Can't you just train up and around the area?" Gloria frowned. "It's a bit of ways off from Axwell, but the mons can't be all that different."

"Mate, Lake Axwell? It's deserted up here compared to Lake Axwell."

"Mons do need fresh water to survive." Sonia said thoughtfully. "But there's plenty of variety in these fields! Especially with the snowstorm next week-"

"Argh, nope, no, not happening! I'm gonna make the trek." Hop smacked his hands together. "It's eight days if I keep a steady pace, fourteen if I stop to smell the roses." There was a determined set to his jaw, Gloria stifled a heaving sigh. There'd be no convincing him now.

"Hop I know you're excited but isn't that a little extreme?" Sonia said worriedly. "I'm sure they'll have a league escort from Motostoke here soon to get everyone across."

"Even with arcanines, they'll still take four days to get here, and then its nine, maybe eleven days back. This is faster." Hop dismissed, turning away to crouch in front of Pyro.

Sonia and Gloria shared an uneasy look. _Go with him_, Sonia mouthed as she pointed to her smartphone. Nothing short of Leon's disappointment would stop Hop now, so Gloria really hoped that Leon was on speedial. Gloria braced Newt as she jogged after Hop, it would be just like him to dash off and wear himself out instead of pacing himself.

Newt yelped as he was jostled, climbing out of her sweater to perch on her shoulder. She felt his tiny claws prick her skin as he held on. Hop was heading down the beaten path leading into the Rolling Fields-where nature was untouched by the urban sprawl of humanity.

Untouched with good reason. Hop was arguing with the League soldiers that guarded a tall standing iron gate, thick as it was wide, wedged between nature's own barrier. Gloria picked up the pace before Hop landed himself in the slammer. Pyro chirped angrily at the stoic lucario and bronzong at the soldiers' sides.

"I'll keep him in line," Gloria said firmly, cutting off Hop before he could go on a tantrum. "We've been endorsed by the unbeatable Champion himself. A lil bit of a stroll won't hurt us none."

"Yeah!" Hop cut in, eager to convince them, "We've got our own mons that are right and ready to go mate! Won't be bothered by anyone, I swear on Lee's unbeatable winning streak!"

The bronzong's eyes glowed, and the two soldiers debated the idea telepathically. Gloria wasn't sure why they felt the need to do so-was something going on beyond the gates?

"Suppose it's alright," said the soldier, pulling out a smartphone. "Go on around through the west. The League's Kabu is currently directing a raid against a Grade-A mon. Head on towards the Watchtower, you'll be escorted to Motostoke from there. Your Dex is to be active at all times. Any questions?"

"We're still not out of Rolling Fields?!" Hop let his head fall against the tree and groaned loudly. Wooby munched on grass. Pyro was still rearing to go, but he looked uneasy.

"There's a reason it takes eight ten days to hike from the train station to Motostoke." They'd been walking close to seven hours. Hop had been insistent that they camp in or by the grove. It was easy to forget that despite Hop's endless well of energy, he didn't have much stamina for the mundane. He started off strong, running ahead, whooping in joy but quickly petered out. This was the third time they'd stopped in the last hour. "We should set up camp. It's getting dark."

"Naw, 'nother… 'Nother hour. Gimme a sec to catch my breath." Hop drained his water pouch, wiping his mouth before heaving a sigh. "Alright mate. Back at it." He held the canteen out at an angle, and Newt dutifully refilled it.

"I'm not carrying your arse if you drop! And you bloody well know I'll leave you behind." Pyro cried out in protest and came to circle her feet. Newt chirped at him as he chittered. "We'll get up early to make up any lost time."

Hop was more than happy to make that compromise. It gave him a second wind that he spent excitedly discussing the Champion Cup-Gloria was particularly interested to hear about the subsidized benefits-hotel stays, pokemon food, battling supplies, corviknight rides-the gym challenger benefits were endless. Gloria was sure that if the requirements weren't so strict, plenty would enter the Gym Challenge just to take advantage, Gloria included. Macro Cosmos had far too much money if they could afford _that_.

The sun was setting just as Hop balanced the curry pot on top of the pile of logs-he spent far too long gathering the wrong type of wood-Gloria let her back slide against the rough bark as she sat down. Pyro still hadn't gotten the hang of spewing fire and was trying to ignite the wood by running over it, but couldn't quite get enough speed as he pivoted back over it. Hop was trying to teach him by blowing pretend raspberries. They probably wouldn't be eating for awhile.

Gloria watched as Newt crawled off her shoulder to explore, she had to wonder exactly where Leon had acquired the sobble. They were difficult to find in the wild due to their cloaking abilities, harder still to track as inteleons were extraordinarily paranoid, and next to impossible to capture as child rearing inteleons were fiercely protective of their young. Newt sniffed a long straw of grass before he tried to climb it.

Newt seemed so timid, so young. Gloria couldn't imagine him performing well with an audience, couldn't imagine him fighting at all really. Pyro had spunk, and already she could see Pyro's playfulness evolving into a keen battle sense in the future, but Newt hadn't taken to others besides Pyro well -although Wooby was rightfully horrifying-and what would that mean for her team? Gloria didn't like any of the possible answers.

"Hey mate where's the lighter? Think it'll help Pyro visualize his ember." Everything except the wood and the pot was ash. Pyro's ears covered his face. Gloria was surprised that their tents were still intact. Hop had the decency to wince.

"You've still got a long bloody way to go before anyone would let you camp alone," she told him as she readjusted the pot, drawing her knife to spark the flint. "You see how it's done there?"

"Hey! Pyro'll get it mate! We've just got to practice."

"Maybe don't practice with dinner. Beans or potatoes?"

"Eugh. Sausage? It's all sub meat."

Gloria looked at the berries they'd collected on the way. Mostly oran, some cheri, one or two chesto… "With our oran then?"

Hop assured her he could cook curry, so she left Pyro to keep an eye on him while she collected her thoughts. Motostoke lit up the night sky off the horizon, and there was little light beyond the flashlight that Hop had fashioned to his head. The sausages sizzled in the pot, Pyro kept trying to touch them as Hop's back was turned. Wooby was munching on what grass Hop and Pyro hadn't burned to a crisp. The sausages had a pleasantly sweet aroma.

Wait a bloody minute.

Gloria took a whiff and the smell left her lightheaded, she could almost taste it at the back of her throat. It was so thick that Gloria was near certain she'd get diabetes from the smell alone. Where was it coming from?

"Mate, you wearin' perfume? Phew!" Gloria ignored him as she looked around, a smell that intense had to be closeby. It could have been a skuntank (in which case they were packing up and moving immediately), but if it was something else, driving it away would probably help. Gloria couldn't recall what pokemon had such an intense smell. Vileplume?

She whistled for Newt. No point in going alone. She took out a pokeball and enlarged it-if only to give Newt a couple more seconds to prepare. Newt reluctantly went ahead, taking unsteady steps into the dark. She turned on the flashlight function on the rotom smartphone.

She waved her hand in front of her face. She smelt like an overripe mago berry. Newt whimpered, but bravely forged forward. The sweet smell seemed to be coming from a small hollow in a tree, probably a hoard of rotting pecha berries. The farmer's market had plenty of those in late spring.

She waved the flashlight into the hollow. Bright yellow eyes stared back.

* * *

**A/N: A month and a half is likely going to be my usual update time, I don't normally write fast enough to update in four days. That said, I had trouble finishing this one off, and I'm not entirely satisfied with its quality. I also lied about the action but definitely in the next chapter! Hopefully.**

**Substitute meat is fairly common in Galar, and is a mix of multiple processed berries and plants. Meat is notoriously expensive in Galar.**


End file.
